


A Juliantina Christmas

by Dontevenknow_56



Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Fluff, Cute, F/F, Family Dinners, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:07:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21759817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dontevenknow_56/pseuds/Dontevenknow_56
Summary: Juliana and Valentina spend Christmas Eve together and with their families. Tooth-rotting fluff
Relationships: Valentina Carvajal & Juliana Valdés, Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Comments: 15
Kudos: 132





	1. Spanglish Version

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I hope you like my take on Val and Juls' Christmas. Let me know if I should continue with this one-shot.

Valentina climbed the stairs two steps at a time, her briefcase in hand. She shivered as she dug for the keys on the side pocket of her black cardigan and opened the door to the warm and cozy apartment, immediately embracing the contrast from outside’s freezing air.

Though she had been in a relationship with Juliana for over four years, they had moved in together only eight months ago. Their place was perfect: not too small or too big, with large windows that overlooked the city. The predominant colors were cream and white, with tawny wooden surfaces and floors. Valentina loved it, mostly because she could finally have the privacy with Juliana she had yearned for.

“Honey, I’m home!” she joked once she took off her snow-tainted scarf, coat and boots. Jingle Bell Rock was playing faintly from the kitchen, and the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air.

Before she could head over and see how Juliana was doing, an excited little creature bolted straight at her and intercepted her.

“_Hola, bebecito_!” she greeted the beagle puppy they had gotten a few months ago. Valentina laughed at the sight of the elf costume that Toby was unsuccessfully trying to shake off.

Valentina kneeled down and the pup jumped at her, licking everywhere he could reach.

“I missed you too, buddy! _¿Quién es el mejor perrito del mundo?_” she cooed as Toby lightly bit at her fingers once she finished playing with his ears. “_Ven_, let’s see what your mom is up to.”

She picked Toby up and headed to the kitchen. She stopped at the entry and blinked in awe when she saw perfectly mashed potatoes, a salad that looked like out of a cooking magazine, an apple pie, buttered pasta… it all looked way too good to be true. The oven from around the kitchen isle was open and Valentina caught a glimpse of the top of Juliana’s head.

“Juls?”

“_Chinga tu madre, carajo, mierda_!” Juliana yelled as bounced back up and shook her left hand trying to ease the pain of what seemed to be a burn.

“Well, I had never been welcomed so warmly before,” Valentina joked as she placed Toby down and hurried over to Juliana.

She was wearing an apron and her beautiful, silky, black hair was arranged into a messy ponytail, a few hairs escaping and falling over her face, making her look incredibly sexy. She had a few smudges of flour on her right cheek and forehead, but she still looked angelic. Valentina would have kissed her then and there if it wasn’t for her evident distress.

“_Te quemaste, mi amor_?” Valentina asked with a frown as she inspected her palm. Though there was definitely a red streak, it didn’t look like anything serious. Valentina sighed, relieved.

“I forgot to put gloves on, can I be more stupid?” Juliana sighed audibly, but smiled as Valentina gently blew on the red skin to ease her pain.

“You’re not stupid, _mi amor. Eres increíble_,” Valentina said, scanning the kitchen again. “_Nena, ¿Hiciste esto tu sola?_ This could feed an army, Juls. How? When…?”

“Well, maybe not an army, but our families sure are something,” Juliana retrieved her hand and kissed Valentina on the cheek. “And I don’t know, I just… wanted us both to contribute to tonight’s dinner,” she said retrieving the cookie tray from the oven, this time carefully.

“_Amor,_ you contribute with a bottle of wine, not a feast. You’ll spoil them.”

Juliana looked up and rolled her eyes playfully. “Tonight is special, _mi amor_, and you know it.”

And Valentina did. It was the first time both their families got together for their Christmas dinner.

Valentina grinned and got close to where Juliana was. She waited patiently for her girlfriend to look up from the cookie frosting recipe to circle her waist.

“_A ver_,” Valentina kissed her cheek gently. Juliana arched an eyebrow playfully and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “_O sea_, I’m gone all morning, _¿Y la señorita me recibe sólo con un beso en la mejilla?_” Valentina teased, kissing her girlfriend’s jaw and neck. She nuzzled her nose briefly before diving in for her lips.

“_No, Val, te vas a ensuciar_. I’m covered in flour…” Juliana chuckled as Valentina growled and took the skin of her neck between her teeth playfully.

“_Me vale madre ensuciarme_,” Valentina grinned as she nipped and sucked on her neck.

“_Ah, ¿te vale madre?_” Juliana laughed and held back a groan. “I don’t think you’ll feel as carefree when you try to get the flour out of your favorite work suit.”

“Shhh, I won’t care. _Sólo déjame besarte. __Déjame besar a mi niña_.”

When she witnessed no objections, she captured Juliana’s lips in a hungry kiss. She felt the air leave Juliana and she suppressed a smile. It was moments like these that she wanted to sear into her mind forever.

“Val…” Juliana breathed when they broke the kiss.

“Shhh, _quédate quietecita_,” Valentina warned playfully before nipping her lower lip gently. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning,” she whispered against her. “_Mucho_.”

Just as she began sucking on her lower lip, a beeping sound made her jolt and pull away. She scanned her surroundings looking for the source of their interruption with a frown.

“The roast_, mi amor_,” Juliana grinned when she noticed Valentina couldn’t find the source. “I was trying to tell you it was ready.”

“Of course we’re bringing roast…” Valentina chuckled with an eye-roll.

After a little while, when Valentina had changed into a more comfortable attire, they both continued with the preparations for their Christmas dinner. Once everything was ready, they took a quick shower and changed into their evening clothes.

Valentina opted for a white, long-sleeved dress that reached her mid-thigh with rose gold heels while Juliana wore a red suit paired with a black blouse and heels.

“_Estás preciosa_,” Juliana whispered as she kissed her shoulder from behind and wrapped her arms around her waist. Valentina smiled and finished fixing her earrings and makeup on their bedroom mirror.

“Not more than you_, mi guapa_,” Valentina whispered and bit her lip when she turned around and scanned Juliana’s outfit. “Juls… you look…” her voice died when Juliana interrupted her.

“_Pareces un ángel, mi amor_,” Juliana whined because she couldn’t stand her beauty. Valentina laughed and shook her head.

“Let’s go, _amor_, before you start drooling. They’ll kill us if we’re late.”

Juliana sighed and rested her forehead on the other woman’s shoulder. “_Está bien, está bien_. Are you ready, _señorita_?” she asked as she extended her hand to Valentina in a gentlewoman-y fashion.

Valentina laughed, took her hand and squeezed it. “As can be.”

* * *

“_Niñas! __Están muy guapas_!” Panchito exclaimed as she hugged them.

They had been the last to arrive, but it was still early for dinner. Panchito and León were outside smoking cigars, so they were the first to greet them. When they got out of the van, Toby darted out to play with Max, the Carvajal family dog.

“_Gracias_, Panchito. You look great as well,” Juliana smiled at her stepfather. As soon as they broke apart, León hurried to them as well.

“_Cómo está este par_?” he asked with a grin as he hugged them.

“_Bien_,” they answered at the same time. “Happy to be here, _papá_,” Valentina added.

“Come inside. Panchito and I will help with the things you brought. Juliana, your mom told me to tell you that as soon as you arrived, you were to help her in the kitchen,” León said as he draped an arm over Valentina’s shoulders.

“Of course,” Juliana sighed with a forced smile. Valentina caught that immediately.

“I’ll go, _amor_,” Valentina said. “Why don’t you catch a break and stay with _mi papá_ and Panchito for a little while?” she winked.

Juliana smiled, relieved. She was glad that Valentina was so perceptive and so caring of her. Valentina wasted no more time and went inside to help her mother and mother-in-law.

“Busy day?” León asked Juliana with a knowing smile.

“You could say that,” Juliana smiled back as they made their way to the living room.

* * *

“Did you really did all this by yourself, Juliana? You could be a chef!” Lucía exclaimed as she tried the mashed potatoes.

“I always told her she had gifted hands,” Lupita smiled proudly at her daughter.

Juliana smiled nervously and looked over at Val, who was sitting in front of her. When no one was looking, the blue-eyed woman raised her glass towards her and gave her a knowing smile. She also agreed that Juliana had gifted hands. Juliana widened her eyes and shook her head slightly as she blushed. Valentina grinned mischievously before taking a sip of wine and continue her conversation with Guille.

“But seriously! Lucía said. “_Cariño_,” she turned to León, “we could introduce her to Gretta! She is a great cook and Juliana could learn a lot from her!” she said in excitement.

“Well, that’s something for Juliana to think about, honey. But sure, if that’s what she wants…” León said with a smile.

“Well… I…” Juliana stumbled with her words as she began to blush. Even though she had learned that compliments were the bread and water of the Carvajal family, she had never gotten used to receiving them. She was used to the tough love from her mother and the screaming from her father. She was not used to getting this much attention and care other than from Valentina… and with her it had also been difficult at first.

“Hey, I helped too!” Valentina exclaimed, directing the attention towards her. “I could start cooking lessons as well. I think I could be an excellent cook, right Juls?” she asked as she chewed on a bit of roast.

Juliana smiled at her girlfriend, thankful to be out of that situation. Valentina simply winked at her.

“Well, if you call opening a can and pouring gravy over mashed potatoes a cooking ability, then sure, Val. You could be a great cook.” Juliana grinned.

Valentina opened her mouth in disbelief. Everyone started to laugh and Juliana couldn’t help but join. When her eyes met Valentina’s, her laughter died down a little. She was giving her that look that meant she was in trouble… and usually led to other interesting things in their bedroom. Juliana looked down and continued with her dinner as she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Well, I support Vale,” Guille chimed in and held Renata’s hand with a smile.

“Thank you, Guille,” Valentina replied, sticking her tongue at Juliana.

“I don’t predict a great outcome, though, considering you can only throw popcorn in the microwave and make grilled cheeses, but…” his voice carried off and Valentina elbowed him on the ribs.

“_Qué chistoso_, Guillermo,” Valentina rolled her eyes, but made nothing more of it.

The dinner carried on smoothly. The Carvajals, like they usually did, dominated every topic of conversation in a very natural way, but each of them had made sure that Juliana, Lupita and Panchito felt comfortable and included.

After dinner, they exchanged gifts. Lupita was very perceptive, so she had guessed beforehand that Panchito was her Secret Santa. Panchito had also made it obvious when he had asked her “hypothetically” what she would like. He gave her a golden necklace with an emerald stone in the middle, which apparently Lupita liked very much since she practically threw herself at him and thanked him.

Next, Lupita gave a set of fancy cigars to León, which were very appreciated. León gave Juliana a drawing kit with different kinds of professional pencils and paper; Juliana gave Lucía a burgundy coat, which Valentina had helped selecting. Next, Lucía gifted Guille a wide-lens camera, since he had mentioned he wanted to pursuit photography; Guille gave Valentina a small bottle of Carolina Herrera’s 212 fragrance, a Louis Vuitton bag and a pair of Fendi sunglasses; and lastly, Valentina gave Renata two tickets and backstage passes to see her favorite band, Morat.

They talked and had a great time before both families had to part ways. For the past four years, The Carvajals left after dinner to visit Eva at _Cárcel de Mujeres_. León, Guille, Lucía and Valentina had to drive an hour to and back so they could spend at much twenty minutes with Eva. Still, they were the twenty minutes that Valentina longed for most each Christmas Eve.

“Drive safely, _por favor_,” Juliana whispered, her forehead pressed against Valentina’s as she fixed the neck of her coat.

“_Sí, mi amor_,” Valentina sighed softly against her, her eyes closed.

“Don’t forget to give Eva my present, okay?” Juliana said softly before kissing Valentina lightly. “_Te estaré esperando en casa, mi vida_.”

Valentina smiled against her. “You know you don’t have to stay awake, _hermosa_. I’ll be home around three.”

“I’ll be up,” Juliana promised as she kissed her again. Juliana always got nervous whenever Valentina went to visit Eva. Not because of Eva per se, but because of the place. Prisons reminded her of narcos, and even though it was an all-women jail, Alacrán always popped up in her mind. “Please be safe,” she begged.

“Shhh,” Valentina wrapped her in her arms. “_Te amo_. I’ll be fine. We’ll all be. Try to get some rest, okay? And don’t you dare start cleaning the kitchen when you get home,” Valentina chuckled as she kissed the side of her head.

They hugged for a few more seconds before they drew back a little, Valentina’s arms still around Juliana’s shoulders.

“_Te amo, preciosa_,” Juliana whispered.

“_Yo también te amo, mi amor_.”

* * *

A few hours had passed since Juliana had arrived home with Toby. Following her girlfriend’s request, she ignored the mess in the kitchen and immediately headed for their bedroom. She turned on the heater and changed into her flannel pajamas. Even though she and Valentina always slept naked (even in cold weather), Juliana never did when Valentina had to sleep elsewhere because of work or whenever Val told her she was going to be late because of it. Strangely so, wearing clothes to bed when Valentina was not there made her feel a bit more secure, and definitely less exposed.

She refilled Toby’s water container and got him out of his elf costume. The puppy barked happily and went straight to his bed on the side of the corridor. Juliana went back upstairs and turned on their bedroom TV. She found a Hallmark Christmas movie on Netflix and clicked on it. She didn’t think she’d pay pay much attention to it, but it was a distraction. Her mind couldn’t help but drift to Valentina. Was she safe? Was she happy seeing Eva? Was she too cold?

As if on cue, a text popped up on her phone.

\- _I’ll be home in about twenty minutes, bebé_.

\- _Con cuidado, preciosa_. Juliana quickly typed back.

\- _Sí, chiquita._

\- _Are you driving?_

_\- No, Guille. Tranquila._

_ \- Okay. Te amo. _

_\- Te amo._

Juliana let her phone drop beside her. She felt uneasy, and wanted Val in her arms. She needed to feel her against her. To really see she was safe. All she had to do now was wait.

By the time Valentina arrived at their apartment complex, she was exhausted. Well, exhausted fell short for the level of tiredness she felt. She dragged her feet up the stairs to the apartment. She began to dig for her keys when the door opened quickly.

Valentina looked at Juliana for a few seconds and smiled tenderly.

"Did you know, Miss Valdés, that those rabbit slippers make you look extremely adorable?"

Juliana shook her head. "Did you know, Miss Carvajal, that when you get tired you start saying incoherent things that make me feel crazy for you?"

Valentina chuckled and let leaned against Juliana once they were inside. “_Feliz Navidad, amor_.”

"_Feliz Navidad, hermosa_," Juliana whispered dropping small kisses on the face of the other woman as she held her. Valentina sighed and suppressed a yawn.

“Tired, _mi cielo_?” Juliana felt rather than saw Valentina nod against her.

“Bed?”

“Mhm,” Valentina sighed against her.

Juliana helped Valentina out of her snow-tainted gloves, scarf and coat. She supported most of Val’s weight as they walked to their bedroom, closed the door to keep the warmth of the heater inside and continued to help Valentina out of the rest of her clothes.

Valentina sat on the edge of the bed while Juliana took off her heels. She bit her lip and caressed the side of Juliana’s face in gratitude. The latter smiled and turned to kiss her palm.

“_Arriba_,” Juliana whispered as she got up and pulled Valentina with her. “Turn around.”

Juliana undid the zipper of the white dress and let her hands linger slightly on the smooth skin. She drew back her hands when Valentina squirmed and let out a little laugh.

“You know that gives me _cosquillas_.”

Juliana smiled and removed the dress, leaving her in only her bra and panties. 

“Get your makeup off. I’ll lock everything downstairs,” she said quietly and kissed her cheek before leaving again.

The older girl was so tired she didn’t bother removing her makeup that carefully. She took off her underwear and, bare as she was, slipped under the covers. They weren’t that cold because of the heater, but she still needed the extra source of heat from Juliana’s body. She heard the click from the door once the dark-haired woman was back. She took off her flannel pajamas and joined Valentina soon after and reached to turn off the lamp on her side.

She scooted closer to Valentina and wrapped her arms around her slender frame while her girlfriend hid her face against the crook of her neck. She had told Juliana that it was her safe place, and Juliana loved knowing it.

“_Todo bien con Eva_?” Juliana nuzzled Valentina’s head as she felt the puffs of breath against her neck.

“_Sí_. They might reduce her sentence because of her good behavior,” Valentina mumbled.

Juliana beamed. “That’s great news, Val!”

“Mhm,” Valentina yawned. 

They stayed quiet for a little while until Valentina spoke again.

“_Mi amor_…” her voice trembled.

One thing Juliana had learned about Valentina was that she got really emotional when she was tired. Sometimes so much so that tears would escape her. She didn’t know why it happened, but it was not something that she wanted to ask Valentina about. It was just something that happened whenever they felt safe in each other’s arms at night. It was as if Valentina trusted their safe space so much she could let her guard down and just _be._

“_Shhh. A dormir, corazón_,” Juliana whispered and trailed her fingers up and down her arm. “You have to rest, _preciosa_. The faster you fall asleep, the faster you can wake up and see the gifts I got you.”

“I got you gifts as well,” Valentina interjected immediately. She didn’t want Juliana to think she hadn’t gotten her gifts.

“Shhh, I know you did, _preciosa_,” Juliana whispered back. “You can show me all the gifts tomorrow. Right now you have to sleep, okay?”

Valentina nodded with her eyes closed and tightened her hold on Juliana.

“_Aquí estoy contigo, mi amor_,” Juliana reassured her.

Valentina finally succumbed. Juliana caressed her hair lightly and looked out of the bedroom window. The moonlight shone through the thin fabric of the curtains, illuminating the side of their faces. She smiled before closing her eyes as well, thankful for the girl in her arms. Thankful for her family, her friends, her puppy, her job…

For someone who used to dislike Christmas with a passion, this felt like the best Christmas of all.

* * *

**Let me know if you enjoyed it!**


	2. English Version

Valentina climbed the stairs two steps at a time, her briefcase in hand. She shivered as she dug for the keys on the side pocket of her black cardigan and opened the door to the warm and cozy apartment, immediately embracing the contrast from outside’s freezing air.

Though she had been in a relationship with Juliana for over four years, they had moved in together only eight months ago. Their place was perfect: not too small or too big, with large windows that overlooked the city. The predominant colors were cream and white, with tawny wooden surfaces and floors. Valentina loved it, mostly because she could finally have the privacy with Juliana she had yearned for.

“Honey, I’m home!” she joked once she took off her snow-tainted scarf, coat and boots. Jingle Bell Rock was playing faintly from the kitchen, and the smell of freshly baked cookies filled the air.

Before she could head over and see how Juliana was doing, an excited little creature bolted straight at her and intercepted her.

“Hello_, bebecito_!” she greeted the beagle puppy they had gotten a few months ago. Valentina laughed at the sight of the elf costume that Toby was unsuccessfully trying to shake off.

Valentina kneeled down and the pup jumped at her, licking everywhere he could reach.

“I missed you too, buddy! Who is the best puppy in the world?” she cooed as Toby lightly bit at her fingers once she finished playing with his ears. “Come, let’s see what your mom is up to.”

She picked Toby up and headed to the kitchen. She stopped at the entry and blinked in awe when she saw perfectly mashed potatoes, a salad that looked like out of a cooking magazine, an apple pie, buttered pasta… it all looked way too good to be true. The oven from around the kitchen isle was open and Valentina caught a glimpse of the top of Juliana’s head.

“Juls?”

“Motherfucker, damn, shit!” Juliana yelled as bounced back up and shook her left hand trying to ease the pain of what seemed to be a burn.

“Well, I had never been welcomed so warmly before,” Valentina joked as she placed Toby down and hurried over to Juliana.

She was wearing an apron and her beautiful, silky, black hair was arranged into a messy ponytail, a few hairs escaping and falling over her face, making her look incredibly sexy. She had a few smudges of flour on her right cheek and forehead, but she still looked angelic. Valentina would have kissed her then and there if it wasn’t for her evident distress.

“Did you get burned_ mi amor_?” Valentina asked with a frown as she inspected her palm. Though there was definitely a red streak, it didn’t look like anything serious. Valentina sighed, relieved.

“I forgot to put gloves on, can I be more stupid?” Juliana sighed audibly, but smiled as Valentina gently blew on the red skin to ease her pain.

“You’re not stupid, _mi amor. _You’re amazing,” Valentina said, scanning the kitchen again. “Babe, did you do all this on your own? This could feed an army, Juls. How? When…?”

“Well, maybe not an army, but our families sure are something,” Juliana retrieved her hand and kissed Valentina on the cheek. “And I don’t know, I just… wanted us both to contribute to tonight’s dinner,” she said retrieving the cookie tray from the oven, this time carefully.

“_Amor_, you contribute with a bottle of wine, not a feast. You’ll spoil them.”

Juliana looked up and rolled her eyes playfully. “Tonight is special, _mi amor_, and you know it.”

And Valentina did. It was the first time both their families got together for their Christmas dinner.

Valentina grinned and got close to where Juliana was. She waited patiently for her girlfriend to look up from the cookie frosting recipe to circle her waist.

“Let’s see,” Valentina kissed her cheek gently. Juliana arched an eyebrow playfully and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. “I mean, I’m gone all morning, and the _señorita_ only greets me with a kiss on the cheek?” Valentina teased, kissing her girlfriend’s jaw and neck. She nuzzled her nose briefly before diving in for her lips.

“No, Val, you’ll get dirty. I’m covered in flour…” Juliana chuckled as Valentina growled and took the skin of her neck between her teeth playfully.

“Well, I don’t care about getting dirty,” Valentina grinned as she nipped and sucked on her neck.

“Oh, you don’t care?” Juliana laughed and held back a groan. “I don’t think you’ll feel as carefree when you try to get the flour out of your favorite work suit.”

“Shhh, I won’t care. Just let me kiss you. Let me kiss my girl.”

When she witnessed no objections, she captured Juliana’s lips in a hungry kiss. She felt the air leave Juliana and she suppressed a smile. It was moments like these that she wanted to sear into her mind forever.

“Val…” Juliana breathed when they broke the kiss.

“Shhh, stay still,” Valentina warned playfully before nipping her lower lip gently. “I’ve been thinking about you all morning,” she whispered against her. “A lot.”

Just as she began sucking on her lower lip, a beeping sound made her jolt and pull away. She scanned her surroundings looking for the source of their interruption with a frown.

“The roast_, mi amor_,” Juliana grinned when she noticed Valentina couldn’t find the source. “I was trying to tell you it was ready.”

“Of course we’re bringing roast…” Valentina chuckled with an eye-roll.

After a little while, when Valentina had changed into a more comfortable attire, they both continued with the preparations for their Christmas dinner. Once everything was ready, they took a quick shower and changed into their evening clothes.

Valentina opted for a white, long-sleeved dress that reached her mid-thigh with rose gold heels while Juliana wore a red suit paired with a black blouse and heels.

“You look beautiful,” Juliana whispered as she kissed her shoulder from behind and wrapped her arms around her waist. Valentina smiled and finished fixing her earrings and makeup on their bedroom mirror.

“Not more than you_, mi guapa_,” Valentina whispered and bit her lip when she turned around and scanned Juliana’s outfit. “Juls… you look…” her voice died when Juliana interrupted her.

“You look like an angel_, mi amor_,” Juliana whined because she couldn’t stand her beauty. Valentina laughed and shook her head.

“Let’s go, _amor_, before you start drooling. They’ll kill us if we’re late.”

Juliana sighed and rested her forehead on the other woman’s shoulder. “Fine, fine. Are you ready, _señorita_?” she asked as she extended her hand to Valentina in a gentlewoman-y fashion.

Valentina laughed, took her hand and squeezed it. “As can be.”

* * *

“Girls! You both look gorgeous!” Panchito exclaimed as she hugged them.

They had been the last to arrive, but it was still early for dinner. Panchito and León were outside smoking cigars, so they were the first to greet them. When they got out of the van, Toby darted out to play with Max, the Carvajal family dog.

“_Gracias_, Panchito. You look great as well,” Juliana smiled at her stepfather. As soon as they broke apart, León hurried to them as well.

“How is my favorite pair?” he asked with a grin as he hugged them.

“_Bien_,” they answered at the same time. “Happy to be here, _papá_,” Valentina added.

“Come inside. Panchito and I will help with the things you brought. Juliana, your mom told me to tell you that as soon as you arrived, you were to help her in the kitchen,” León said as he draped an arm over Valentina’s shoulders.

“Of course,” Juliana sighed with a forced smile. Valentina caught that immediately.

“I’ll go, _amor_,” Valentina said. “Why don’t you catch a break and stay with _mi papá_ and Panchito for a little while?” she winked.

Juliana smiled, relieved. She was glad that Valentina was so perceptive and so caring of her. Valentina wasted no more time and went inside to help her mother and mother-in-law.

“Busy day?” León asked Juliana with a knowing smile.

“You could say that,” Juliana smiled back as they made their way to the living room.

* * *

“Did you really did all this by yourself, Juliana? You could be a chef!” Lucía exclaimed as she tried the mashed potatoes.

“I always told her she had gifted hands,” Lupita smiled proudly at her daughter.

Juliana smiled nervously and looked over at Val, who was sitting in front of her. When no one was looking, the blue-eyed woman raised her glass towards her and gave her a knowing smile. She also agreed that Juliana had gifted hands. Juliana widened her eyes and shook her head slightly as she blushed. Valentina grinned mischievously before taking a sip of wine and continue her conversation with Guille.

“But seriously! Lucía said. “_Cariño_,” she turned to León, “we could introduce her to Gretta! She is a great cook and Juliana could learn a lot from her!” she said in excitement.

“Well, that’s something for Juliana to think about, honey. But sure, if that’s what she wants…” León said with a smile.

“Well… I…” Juliana stumbled with her words as she began to blush. Even though she had learned that compliments were the bread and water of the Carvajal family, she had never gotten used to receiving them. She was used to the tough love from her mother and the screaming from her father. She was not used to getting this much attention and care other than from Valentina… and with her it had also been difficult at first.

“Hey, I helped too!” Valentina exclaimed, directing the attention towards her. “I could start cooking lessons as well. I think I could be an excellent cook, right Juls?” she asked as she chewed on a bit of roast.

Juliana smiled at her girlfriend, thankful to be out of that situation. Valentina simply winked at her.

“Well, if you call opening a can and pouring gravy over mashed potatoes a cooking ability, then sure, Val. You could be a great cook.” Juliana grinned.

Valentina opened her mouth in disbelief. Everyone started to laugh and Juliana couldn’t help but join. When her eyes met Valentina’s, her laughter died down a little. She was giving her that look that meant she was in trouble… and usually led to other interesting things in their bedroom. Juliana looked down and continued with her dinner as she felt a chill run down her spine.

“Well, I support Vale,” Guille chimed in and held Renata’s hand with a smile.

“Thank you, Guille,” Valentina replied, sticking her tongue at Juliana.

“I don’t predict a great outcome, though, considering you can only throw popcorn in the microwave and make grilled cheeses, but…” his voice carried off and Valentina elbowed him on the ribs.

“How funny, Guillermo,” Valentina rolled her eyes, but made nothing more of it.

The dinner carried on smoothly. The Carvajals, like they usually did, dominated every topic of conversation in a very natural way, but each of them had made sure that Juliana, Lupita and Panchito felt comfortable and included.

After dinner, they exchanged gifts. Lupita was very perceptive, so she had guessed beforehand that Panchito was her Secret Santa. Panchito had also made it obvious when he had asked her ‘hypothetically’ what she would like. He gave her a golden necklace with an emerald stone in the middle, which apparently Lupita liked very much since she practically threw herself at him and thanked him.

Next, Lupita gave a set of fancy cigars to León, which were very appreciated. León gave Juliana a drawing kit with different kinds of professional pencils and paper; Juliana gave Lucía a burgundy coat, which Valentina had helped selecting. Next, Lucía gifted Guille a wide-lens camera, since he had mentioned he wanted to pursuit photography; Guille gave Valentina a small bottle of Carolina Herrera’s 212 fragrance, a Louis Vuitton bag and a pair of Fendi sunglasses; and lastly, Valentina gave Renata two tickets and backstage passes to see her favorite band, Morat.

They talked and had a great time before both families had to part ways. For the past four years, The Carvajals left after dinner to visit Eva at Women Prison. León, Guille, Lucía and Valentina had to drive an hour to and back so they could spend at much twenty minutes with Eva. Still, they were the twenty minutes that Valentina longed for most each Christmas Eve.

“Drive safely, please,” Juliana whispered, her forehead pressed against Valentina’s as she fixed the neck of her coat.

“_Sí, mi amor_,” Valentina sighed softly against her, her eyes closed.

“Don’t forget to give Eva my present, okay?” Juliana said softly before kissing Valentina lightly. “I’ll be waiting for you at home,_ mi vida_.”

Valentina smiled against her. “You know you don’t have to stay awake, _hermosa_. I’ll be home around three.”

“I’ll be up,” Juliana promised as she kissed her again. Juliana always got nervous whenever Valentina went to visit Eva. Not because of Eva per se, but because of the place. Prisons reminded her of narcos, and even though it was an all-women jail, Alacrán always popped up in her mind. “Please be safe,” she begged.

“Shhh,” Valentina wrapped her in her arms. “_Te amo_. I’ll be fine. We’ll all be. Try to get some rest, okay? And don’t you dare start cleaning the kitchen when you get home,” Valentina chuckled as she kissed the side of her head.

They hugged for a few more seconds before they drew back a little, Valentina’s arms still around Juliana’s shoulders.

“_Te amo, preciosa_,” Juliana whispered.

“I love you too_, mi amor_.”

* * *

A few hours had passed since Juliana had arrived home with Toby. Following her girlfriend’s request, she ignored the mess in the kitchen and immediately headed for their bedroom. She turned on the heater and changed into her flannel pajamas. Even though she and Valentina always slept naked (even in cold weather), Juliana never did when Valentina had to sleep elsewhere because of work or whenever Val told her she was going to be late because of it. Strangely so, wearing clothes to bed when Valentina was not there made her feel a bit more secure, and definitely less exposed.

She refilled Toby’s water container and got him out of his elf costume. The puppy barked happily and went straight to his bed on the side of the corridor. Juliana went back upstairs and turned on their bedroom TV. She found a Hallmark Christmas movie on Netflix and clicked on it. She didn’t think she’d pay pay much attention to it, but it was a distraction. Her mind couldn’t help but drift to Valentina. Was she safe? Was she happy seeing Eva? Was she too cold?

As if on cue, a text popped up on her phone.

\- _I’ll be home in about twenty minutes, bebé_.

\- _Be careful, preciosa_. Juliana quickly typed back.

\- _Sí, chiquita._

\- _Are you driving?_

_\- No, Guille is. Tranquila._

_ \- Okay. Te amo. _

_\- Te amo._

Juliana let her phone drop beside her. She felt uneasy, and wanted Val in her arms. She needed to feel her against her. To really see she was safe. All she had to do now was wait.

By the time Valentina arrived at their apartment complex, she was exhausted. Well, exhausted fell short for the level of tiredness she felt. She dragged her feet up the stairs to the apartment. She began to dig for her keys when the door opened quickly.

Valentina looked at Juliana for a few seconds and smiled tenderly.

"Did you know, Miss Valdés, that those rabbit slippers make you look extremely adorable?"

Juliana shook her head. "Did you know, Miss Carvajal, that when you get tired you start saying incoherent things that make me feel crazy for you?"

Valentina chuckled and let leaned against Juliana once they were inside. “Merry Christmas_, amor_.”

"Merry Christmas_, hermosa_," Juliana whispered dropping small kisses on the face of the other woman as she held her. Valentina sighed and suppressed a yawn.

“Tired, _mi cielo_?” Juliana felt rather than saw Valentina nod against her.

“Bed?”

“Mhm,” Valentina sighed against her.

Juliana helped Valentina out of her snow-tainted gloves, scarf and coat. She supported most of Val’s weight as they walked to their bedroom, closed the door to keep the warmth of the heater inside and continued to help Valentina out of the rest of her clothes.

Valentina sat on the edge of the bed while Juliana took off her heels. She bit her lip and caressed the side of Juliana’s face in gratitude. The latter smiled and turned to kiss her palm.

“Up,” Juliana whispered as she got up and pulled Valentina with her. “Turn around.”

Juliana undid the zipper of the white dress and let her hands linger slightly on the smooth skin. She drew back her hands when Valentina squirmed and let out a little laugh.

“You know that gives me tickles.”

Juliana smiled and removed the dress, leaving her in only her bra and panties. 

“Get your makeup off. I’ll lock everything downstairs,” she said quietly and kissed her cheek before leaving again.

The older girl was so tired she didn’t bother removing her makeup that carefully. She took off her underwear and, bare as she was, slipped under the covers. They weren’t that cold because of the heater, but she still needed the extra source of heat from Juliana’s body. She heard the click from the door once the dark-haired woman was back. She took off her flannel pajamas and joined Valentina soon after and reached to turn off the lamp on her side.

She scooted closer to Valentina and wrapped her arms around her slender frame while her girlfriend hid her face against the crook of her neck. She had told Juliana that it was her safe place, and Juliana loved knowing it.

“Everything okay with Eva?” Juliana nuzzled Valentina’s head as she felt the puffs of breath against her neck.

“_Sí_. They might reduce her sentence because of her good behavior,” Valentina mumbled.

Juliana beamed. “That’s great news, Val!”

“Mhm,” Valentina yawned. 

They stayed quiet for a little while until Valentina spoke again.

“_Mi amor_…” her voice trembled.

One thing Juliana had learned about Valentina was that she got really emotional when she was tired. Sometimes so much so that tears would escape her. She didn’t know why it happened, but it was not something that she wanted to ask Valentina about. It was just something that happened whenever they felt safe in each other’s arms at night. It was as if Valentina trusted their safe space so much she could let her guard down and just _be._

“Shhh. Go to sleep, _corazón_,” Juliana whispered and trailed her fingers up and down her arm. “You have to rest, _preciosa_. The faster you fall asleep, the faster you can wake up and see the gifts I got you.”

“I got you gifts as well,” Valentina interjected immediately. She didn’t want Juliana to think she hadn’t gotten her gifts.

“Shhh, I know you did, _preciosa_,” Juliana whispered back. “You can show me all the gifts tomorrow. Right now you have to sleep, okay?”

Valentina nodded with her eyes closed and tightened her hold on Juliana.

“I’m right here_, mi amor_,” Juliana reassured her.

Valentina finally succumbed. Juliana caressed her hair lightly and looked out of the bedroom window. The moonlight shone through the thin fabric of the curtains, illuminating the side of their faces. She smiled before closing her eyes as well, thankful for the girl in her arms. Thankful for her family, her friends, her puppy, her job…

For someone who used to dislike Christmas with a passion, this felt like the best Christmas of all.

* * *

**Let me know your thoughts! :)**


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